Oscillating label transfer drum



1970 H. KRONSEDER E OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1968 INVENTORS.

HERMANN KRONSEDER KARL DULI INGER KARL A. MUNCH w R EN LE EM EE HL s W .w R m E M L EH U O WH w.

Oct. 6, 1970 H. KRONSEDER ETAL 3,532,585

OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM Filed Jan. 2, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 41 34a 34 36 INVENTORS.

HERMANN KRONSEDER KARL ULLINGER o KARL A. MUNCH y= WHEELER, WHEELER,

HOUSE 8. CLEMENCY Oct. 6, 1970 I KRQNSEDER EIAL 3,532,585

OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM Filed Jan. 2, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I'NVENTORS.

HERMANN KRONSEDER KARL DULLINGER KARL A. MUNCH BY WHEELER, WHEELER,

HOUSE a CLEMENCY Attorneys Oct. 6, 1970 KRQNSEDER ETAL 3,532,585

OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM Filed Jan. 2, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet &

H INVENTORS.

HERMANN KRONSEDER KARL DULI INGER KARL A. MUNCH WHEELER WHEELER HOUSE 8; CLEMENCY Attorneys Oct. 6, 1970 H. KRONSEDER EI'AL 3,532,585

OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM Filed Jan. 2, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS HERMANN KRONSEDER KARL DULLlNGER KARL A. MUNCH WHEELER, WHEELER HOUSE a CLEMENCY Aflorneys United "States Patent 0 F 3,532,585 OSCILLATING LABEL TRANSFER DRUM Hermann Kronseder, 10 Berliner Str., 8402 Neutraubling,

Germany, and Karl Dullinger and Karl A. Miinch,

Neutraubling, Germany; said Dullinger and said Miinch assignors to said Kronseder Filed Jan. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 694,617 Int. Cl. B65c 9/16 U.S. Cl. 156568 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus to transfer labels from a non-oscillating label magazine to a rotating label turret and including a transfer drum having at least one shaft carrying an adhesion pad which is moved sequentially past the label magazine to pick a label therefrom and past the labeling turret to transfer the label thereto. The apparatus includes mechanism to sequentially hold the pad against turning on the axis of the shaft as the label on the pad is transferred to the turret. The apparatus also includes mechanism to oscillate the pad in the direction of shaft orbital movement as the pad approaches the label magazine to advance the trailing edge of the pad toward the trailing edge of the foremost label in the stack of labels in the magazine. The apparatus also includes mechanism to counteroscillate the pad after it makes contact with the foremost label to roll the pad across the face of the foremost label in the course of picking the label from the stack. The apparatus also includes mechanism to subsequently again oscillate the pad in the direction of drum orbital movement to a position where the pad surface is concentric with the orbital axis. Such mechanism includes a series of lightweight cam followers on the end of the shaft and a series of cams mounted adjacent the orbit path of the shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In labeling machines such as shown in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 663,289, filed Aug. 25, 1967, the label magazine oscillates in synchronism with the rotary motion of a label pickup and transfer drum so that the drum can pick the labels off of the front of the magazine. The label magazines are oscillated at a rather rapid rate, making it difficult to restrock the magazine while it is operating. The oscillating type magazine also must be reset periodically to eliminate any play in the motion of the magazine which could prematurely release the labels from the magazine. The label pickup and transfer drums often use suction systems to remove the label from the magazine which means that a separate vacuum pump and appropriate lines are required to operate the system.

Our French Pat. No. 1,471,570, granted Jan. 23, 1967, shows several forms of drum mounted adhesive pads or pallets to transfer labels from a stationary label magazine to a rotary labeling turret. However the apparatus described in this patent utilizes positive acting cams or gear transmissions to oscillate the pads both clockwise and counterclockwise about the axes of their shafts. Where the pads must be turned through a substantial angle, this complicates the cam and gear structure, requiring extensive cam swinging movement with consequent undesirable inertia and momentum problems, or requiring motion multiplying mechanism between the cam arms and the pad shafts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention improves on the structure disclosed in our French patent aforesaid by simplifying the pad oscillating mechanism. The mass of the apparatus 3,532,585 Patented Oct. 6, 1970 utilized to swing the pad shafts is greatly reduced to minimize inertia and momentum problems. Accordingly, the device is better adapted to high speed operation because the shaft and pads can respond more quickly and smoothly to shaft oscillating efforts. A useful technique is to free the shaft from cam involvement as the out-turned trailing end of the pad first engages the label stack in the magazine. Thus, there is very little inertia drag on the shaft and the initial counter oscillative movement of the shaft results from the pressure imposed by the stationary label stack on the pad. After the pad has partially counterrotated, a cam set engages to continue counterrotation of the pad until the foremost label has been completely stripped from the magazine.

Holding and stabilizing cam sets are also included and these act sequentially on the shaft to guide it through its cycles of movement and insure smooth operation of the label transfer sequence.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a labeling drum shown positioned between a labeling magazine, a labeling turret, and a glue roll.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken on line 22 of FIG. 3 showing the cam followers for the pad shafts and some of the fixed cams.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing sequential positions of one shaft only. The relative position of various cam sets and the adhesive pad on said shaft is shown at various sectors of the orbital movement of the shaft. This figure shows the holding and stabilizing positions of the shaft.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the oscillatory cam sets at four different positions of the shaft.

FIG. 6 is a view of the pickup pad at one of its positions in Sector E with a number of phantom lines to represent other positions of the pickup surface of the pad.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Alhough the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a label drum 10 is shown mounted on a shaft 12 for rotation with respect to a fixed cam housing 14 mounted on a frame 15. The label drum 10 rotates between a stationary label magazine 16, a rotating labeling cylinder or turret 18 and an adhesive or glue roll 20. This arrangement of the label magazine, label drum, labeling turret and adhesive roller is similar to the arrangement shown in the co-pending application where a conventional label drum and oscillating type label magazine is shown. A common drive in base 13 is used to rotate the label drum, label turret and glue roller. In accordance with the present invention the label magazine 16 is stationary and is mounted on frame 15. Label pickup drum 10 picks the label off of the front of the magazine.

The label pickup drum 10 has a bottom plate 26 with a top plate 27 secured to the shaft 12 for rotation therewith. While the number of shafts is optional, the apparatus disclosed herein to exemplify the invention has three independent shafts 24 mounted for rotation in needle bearings 25 in bottom plate 26 and roller bearings 28 in the top plate 27. A label pickup pad or pallet 22 is mounted on each of the shafts 24 with a key 29 securing the pad or pallet 2-2 to the shaft 24. Each pad or pallet 22 has an arcuate outer surface 30 that is concentrict with the axis of rotation of its shaft 24. As drum rotates in the direction of arrow 25, the pads 22 are held concentric with shaft 12 as the pads move past the glue roller and the labeling turret 18. The pads 22 pick up a coating of glue from roller 20 to render the pad surface 30 adhesive. After the labels are susequently transferred to the labeling turret 18, the same coating of glue adhers the labels to the containers. An alternative arrangement is to provide the label pads 22 with suction ducts appropriately controlled to pick labels from the magazine 16 and release them to the turret 18.

In order to remove a label 32 from the front of the magazine 16, the pads 22 are partially rotated about the axis of the shafts 24 as the pads 22 are moved past the magazine. During this rotary movement of the pads 22, the curved surfaces 30 will roll across the label 32 on the front of the magazine 16 to remove or pick the label 32 off of the label magazine. After a label has been removed from the magazine, the pad 22 must be held in a fixed relation with respect to the shaft 12 with the outer curved surface 30 of the pad concentric with the axis of the shaft 12 in order for the label to be transferred to the labeling turret 18 and glue again applied to the surface 30 by the glue roller 20.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the general arrangement of the cam means which is used to rotate the shafts 24 and hold the shafts 24 in fixed positions is shown. The cam means includes a series 34 of three disc type cam followers 34a, 34b, and 34c secured by key 35 toeach of the shafts 24 and a series 36 of fixed cams 36x, 36y, and 36z mounted in cam housing 14 below bottom plate 26. Cam followings 34a and 34b are holding type cam followers which engage cams 36x and 36y to hold the shafts 24 in a fixed position during the orbital movement of the shafts through certain sectors of each revolution of the drum. Cam followers 340 are oscillatory or active type cam followers which engage the cams 36z to oscillate the shafts 24 during the orbital movement of the shafts through other sectors of each revolution of the drum.

In order to better understand the operation of the cam followers 34a, 34b, and 340 and the cams 36x, 36y, and 36z, the following description will refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings. These figures are schematic in that they show successive positions of one of the shafts 24, its pickup pad 30 and the cam follower series 34 with respect to the fixed cam series 36 as the drum 10 rotates in the direction of arrow 25. The portions or segments of one complete cycle of rotation of the drum 10 in which various of the cams control the positions of the pad 22 are respectively indicated by Sectors A, B, C, D, E, and F. The cam followers and cams coact in sets. Cam followers 34a and cam 36x constitute a set. Cam followers 34b and cam 36y constitute a set. Cam followers 34c and cams 362: constitute a set. In FIG. 4 cam follower 34a is shown in engagement with fixed cam 36x in Sector A and cam follower 34b is shown in two positions in engagement with fixed cam 36y in Sectors B and C. These cam followers 34a and 3412 are the holding cam followers which are used to hold the shaft 24 fixed against rotation on its own axis during portions of the orbital or rotary motion of the housing on the axis of shaft 12. The outer surface 30 of label pickup pads 22 must be held fixed against rotating about the axis of shaft 24 and concentric to shaft 12 as the pad 22 moves past the labeling turret 18 and glue roller 20. Cam follower 34a has a concave curved surface 40 that has the same radius of curvature as the peripheral surface 41 on fixed cam 36x. Throughout the movement of pad 22 in Sector A of drum rotation, the concave surface 40 on cam 34a is in engagement with peripheral surface 41 on fixed cam 36x. Accordingly, shaft 24 will be held in a fixed position with the outer curved sur- 4 face 30 of pad 22 concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft 12.

The shafts 24 are also held fixed against rotation about their own axis prior to and after picking labels off of magazine 16. This is accomplished by the cam follower 34b which has a first concave surface 42 that slides on curved surface 43 of cam 36y, as the drum 10 orbits pad 22 through Sector B. Cam follower 3412 has a second concave surface 44 that slides on curved surface 45 on fixed cam 36y as the drum 10 orbits pad 22 through Sector C. While in Sector B, shaft 24 will be held in a fixed position with the trailing edge 31 of the outer surface 30 on pad 22 extending out-ward in position to engage the trailing edge of foremost label 32 on the front of the label magazine. Intermediate Sectors B and C the pad 22 is rotated about the axis of shaft 24 as drum 10 orbits pad 22 through Sector E, as is hereinafter explained in connection with FIG. 5. After leaving Sector E and entering Sector C, cam followers surface 44 engages cam surface 45, thus to hold shaft 24 fixed against rotation on its own axis as the drum 10 orbits pad 22 through Sector C.

FIG. 5 is a schematic showing of one of the shafts 24 in various pad turning or oscillating positions. The turning or oscillating motion of the shaft about its own axis 24 is caused by the engagement of the turning cam followers 340 with the stub tooth bolts or cam pins 36z which are fixed in housing 14. As drum 10 orbits the pad 22 and shaft 24 through Sector D, the shaft 24 is turned on its own axis (clockwise in the direction of arrow 29) by the engagement of notch 50 in cam follower 34c with cam pin or knob 362(1). The shaft and pad is turned through about in sector D. The shaft 24 will turn until arcuate surface 42 on cam 34b engages stabilizing surface 43 on cam 36y (FIG. 4). This will stabilize the pad 22 in position so that its trailing edge 31 is in position to engage the label 32 on the front of the magazine. The second rotary or turning motion of shaft 24 occurs in Sector E as the pad 22 on the shaft moves past the front of the label magazine. The trailing edge 31 on the pad 22 initially engages the trailing edge of the label stack in magazine 16 to start counter rotary motion of the shaft 24.

It is of particular importance that at this point in the machine cycle the shaft is free of all cam set engagement. When the trailing edge 31 of pad 22 is firmly pressed against the trailing edge of the foremost label in magazine 16, the stabilizing cam set 34b, 36y shown in Sector B in FIG. 4 disengages to free the pad 22 to turn counterclockwise under the pressure of the label stack. At this point the oscillating cam set 340, 36z(2) of FIG. 5 has not yet engaged. In order to prevent excessive clockwise rotation of shaft 24 which might be caused by the release of cam follower 34c from cam surface 43, cam follower 34a is provided with a cam follower surface 35 which will engage cam surface 37 on fixed cam 36x. As the drum 10 continues to rotate in the direction of arrow 25 to orbit pad 22 past the magazine 16, the pressure of the pad against the label stack and resistance thus developed to pad motion with the drum will produce sufficient drag to counter rotate or oscillate the pad 22 so that it will walk or roll along the face of the foremost label 32 (counterclockwise in the direction of arrow 31 in FIG. 5), thus to peal the label from the magazine. The lineal rate of counterrotation of the pad surface exactly equals the orbiting speed of the drum 10. Accordingly, the label is lifted smoothly from the magazine.

The pad 22 will counterrotate under the pressure and drag of the label stack until notch 54 in cam follower 34c engages cam pin 36z(2); whereupon cam pin 36z(2) provides a positive mechanical cam action which will continue to counterrotate the pad under its pressure. This counter rotary motion will be continued by the subsequent engagement of notch 52 with cam pin 36z(3). Pad 22 will continue to counterrotate until the drum 10 orbits pad 22 past the point where notch 52 loses contact with pin 361(3). At this point the label has been transferred completely to the pad 22. Arcuate surface 44 on cam follower 34b (FIG. 4) then engages cam surface 45 on cam 36y to orbit pad 22 through Sector C shown in FIG. 4.

In order to assure positive contact of the label magazine with the adhesion surfaces 30 of the pads 22, the label magazine is moved, by a cam set arrangement, on its longitudinal axis toward and away from the label drum each time the pickup pad moves through Sector E. In FIG. 6 a number of curved lines I, II, III and IV represent the adhesion surface 30 of the pickup pads 22. When the pickup pad is in the position shown by line I, the label magazine will be in a slightly retracted position at which the trailing edge of the adhesion surface 30 on the pickup pad first engages the trailing edge of the foremost label 32 on the front of the magazine 16. As the pad is moved by the rotation of the drum 10 and the rotation of shaft 24 on its own axis to the position shown at line II in FIG. 6, the label magazine will continue to move on its own longitudinal axis toward the axis of shaft 12 to maintain contact pressure between the label and the surface of the pad. When the pad 22 reaches the position shown by line III, the label magazine will start to move on its own longitudinal axis away from the axis of shaft 12. In the final position shown by line IV, the magazine will be retracted far enough for pad to roll off of the edge of the label magazine with little pressure being applied to the adhesion surface of the pad 22.

The cam set which achieves this motion comprises a cam surface 100 around the outside of the drum and a cam follower roller 101 attached to the magazine which follows the cam surface 100, moving into and out of the dip 102 in the cam surface. A spring (not shown) is used to bias the labels toward the front of the label magazine.

The return clockwise rotary motion or oscillation of shaft 24 occurs in Sector F. Notch 56 will engage cam pin or knob 36z(4) rotating the shaft 24 clockwise in the direction of arrow 29 until the outer surface 30 of pad 22 is concentric with the axis of shaft 12. This motion stops when cam surface 40 on cam follower 34a (FIG. 4) slidably engages the peripheral surface 41 of cam 36x and the drum orbits the pad through Sector A.

The motions of pad 22 for one complete orbit of the drum can be summarized as follows:

(1) The pad 22 is held against rotation on the axis of shaft 24 and concentric with shaft 12 through Sector A (FIG. 4), by the engagement of the holding cam follower 34a with its corresponding cam 36x. In this position the label 32 is sequentially transferred to turret 18 and a coating of glue from roller 20 is applied to the pad face 30.

(2) The pad 22 is oscillated clockwise through Sector D to move its trailing edge 31 to a position to engage the trailing edge of foremost label 32 in magazine 16, by the engagement of notch 50 in the shaft turning cam follower 34c with cam pin 361(1).

(3) The pad 22 is stopped from oscillating and is stabilized in this position through Sector B by the engagement of surface 42 on the second cam follower 34b with cam surface 43 on the second cam 36y.

(4) The pad 22 is initially rolled or counter rotated or oscillated through its label pickup motion in Sector E as it moves past the label magazine 16 by the engagement of its trailing edge 31 with the trailing edge of the label stack and the drag caused by the walking or rolling of the counter oscillatory pad over the label stack.

The counter oscillatory motion of pad 22 is completed by the positive mechanical engagement of notches 54 and 52 in the third cam follower 340 with pins 362(2) and 362(3) in the third cam 36z.

(6) The counter rotary motion of pad 22 is stopped and held fixed through Sector C when cam surface 44 on the second cam follower 34b engages cam surface 45 on the second cam 36y.

(7) The pad 22 is rotated clockwise to its initial position through Sector F by the engagement of notch 56 with pin 362(4) in the third cam 362. This completes the cycle of movements of one of the shafts.

The non-oscillating magazine or the label carrying pats thereof may reciprocate longitudinally toward and away from the axis of shaft 12, as controlled by cam and cam follower roller 101.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus to transfer labels from a non-oscillating label magazine to a rotating labeling turret and including a transfer drum having at least one shaft carrying an adhesion pad which is moved sequentially past the label magazine to pick a label therefrom and past the labeling turret to transfer the label thereto, said apparatus including a mechanism to sequentially hold the pad against turning on the axis of the shaft as a label on the pad is transferred to the turret, to oscillate the pad in the direction of the shaft orbital movement as the pad approaches the label magazine to advance the trailing edge of the pad toward the trailing edge of the foremost label in the stack of labels in the magazine, to counter oscillate the pad after the pad makes contact with said foremost label to roll the pad across the face of said foremost label in the course of picking the label from the stack and subsequently again oscillating the pad in the direction of drum orbital movement to a position where the pad surface is concentric with the orbit axis, the improvement to reduce the inertia and momentum of said mechanism and make the shaft and pad more easily responsive to rotation about the axis of the shaft, comprising:

a series of cam followers on the end of the shaft, said series having low moments of inertia and momenturn,

a series of cams mounted adjacent the orbit path of said shaft for cooperation with said cam followers,

a corresponding cam and cam follower comprising an oscillating cam set which engages just before the pad reaches the lebal magazine to oscillate the pad in the direction of shaft orbital movement and release after the pad has oscillated,

none of said cams and cam followers being engaged when the trailing edge of the pad contacts the labels in the magazine whereby the pressure of the labels against the trailing edge of the pad will initiate the counter oscillation of the pad with the minimum resistance to such counter oscillation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a corresponding cam and cam follower comprise:

an oscillating cam set which engages after the pad has partially counter oscillated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a corresponding cam and cam follower comprise:

a stabilizing' cam set which engages for a short interval after the pad has been oscillated in the direction of the shaft orbital movement to stabilize the pad in its oscillated position and which releases from engagement before counter oscillation of the pad is initiated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a corresponding cam and cam follower comprise:

an oscillatory cam set which engages after the pad has completed its counter oscillatory movement, to oscillate the pad in the direction of shaft orbiting movement and bring the pad to a position concentric with the orbit axis in position for transfer of the label to the labeling cylinder.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which a corresponding cam and cam follower comprises:

a holding cam set which engages after the pad has been brought to its said concentric position to hold said 7 pad in said concentric position until the pad has been orbited by the drum past the labeling turret.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said cam followers comprise:

discs mounted on the end of the shaft, said discs have formed surfaces which engage said cams.

7. Apparatus for removing labels from a non-oscillating label magazine and transferring the labels to a rotating labeling turret, said apparatus comprising:

a rotary label transfer drum between said magazine and said turret,

a plurality of shafts mounted about the periphery of the drum, said shafts being independently rotatable on their own axis,

label adhesion pads mounted on the shafts for swinging movement about the axis of the shaft as the shafts are rotated,

each said shaft having a series of cam followers includan oscillating cam follower, a holding cam follower, and a stabilizing cam follower,

a corresponding series of cams in the path of orbiting movement of the shafts and including:

oscillating cams, a holding cam, and a stabilizing cam,

the rotary motion of said drum orbiting the shafts on a path for sequential coaction of the respective cam followers with their respective cams for rolling the adhesion pads across the face of the label magazine to extract a label therefrom, for holding the adhesion pads against rotation about their shaft axis as they pass the labeling turrent to effectuate label transfer thereto and for stabilizing the adhesion pads before and after their rolling motion. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the oscillating cams and oscillating cam followers respectively comprise:

8 pins and discs having peripheral notches which engage said pins. 9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the holding cams and holding cam followers respectively comprise:

a curved rail and discs having corresponding curved peripheral surfaces which slide on the rail. 10. A label pickup drum for a labeling machine having a stationary label magazine, a labeling turrent and a glue roller, said pickup drum comprising:

a housing rotating with a main driving shaft, a number of shafts mounted to rotate on said housing, a pickup pallet on each shaft, and cam means to control the rotary motion of said shafts, and including stub-tooth gear pins arranged in a fixed manner in different positions around the main driving shaft and a control cam follower on each shaft to engage said stub-tooth gear pins to swing the pallet within the sector of the label magazine and roll along the front of the labels. 11. A label pickup drum according to claim 10 wherein said cam means includes:

sliding cams arranged in a fixed manner about said driving shaft and gliding cam followers on each shaft to engage said gliding cams to hold the pallet in a concentric position relative to the main driving shaft within the sector of the labeling turret and glue roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,449,298 9/1948 Hoppe 156568 X 3,346,254 10/1967 Beert 27141 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,471,570 1/1967 France.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner 

